Without calling it an annual event, NASCAR wants to return to Naval Base Coronado next year — possibly over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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“We are really hopeful to be back here in 2027,” Amy Lupo, president of NASCAR San Diego, said Sunday morning.
Lupo said NASCAR is “working with the Navy on the future here.” The weekend races through the Naval base marked two firsts — the first NASCAR events ever held on an installation and the first Cup race ever held in San Diego County.
“I think everyone is thrilled about how this weekend has gone,” Lupo said. “We would very much like to be back. I think it will be a joint decision between NASCAR and the Navy. I think the Navy probably needs more information.”
NASCAR said it has three or four possible dates for a return to Coronado available on the 2027 schedule. Picking the right one will be key, Lupo said.
“We know a lot of big conferences come to San Diego. We don’t want to be up against any of that,” she said. “We want to be able to get people into hotel rooms and help San Diego, Coronado and the Navy.
“This year, our stars aligned with the Padres being out of town.”
July 4 falls on a Sunday in 2027. Naval Station Coronado would again be on a holiday schedule much the way it was this year. But July 4 has long been a big deal in downtown Coronado, which hosts a parade and special events.
While the Navy and NASCAR have praised the event, Lupo said any future Naval Base Coronado NASCAR races would bring “tweaks.”
“We’re event pros,” said Lupo. “We’re going to make a lot of changes to everything, but I don’t think there will be anything significant. But in terms of guest services and the track, we were able to build a pretty great product for the first time out.”
There have been a couple of problems with the races. Cars impacting the concrete barriers lining the 3.4-mile circuit have actually moved those barriers out of position, forcing lengthy red flag periods for reconstruction in both Friday’s Craftsman Trucks and Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts races.
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Navy Seabees also walked the course overnight before Sunday’s race and inspected the welds on 150 manhole covers after one came up during Saturday’s race.
“With any first-time course, especially with a nontraditional track, we knew there would be challenges,” said Lupo. “We were working here with some roads that dated to 1917. The team was ready. Not only our team, but the Seabees who worked with us side-by-side.”
The cooperation between the Navy and NASCAR continued even as concerns were raised about the race after the outbreak of the Iran conflict. The Navy helped put on the event even while making sure that the base was at peak operational readiness.
“We didn’t have to pivot very much at all due to the overseas conflict, which was incredible,” Lupo said. “We were so far down the road with our planning when the Iran War came up.”
As for hosting 100,000 NASCAR fans over two days — the majority of whom had never been on a military base before — the weekend’s operation exceeded expectations.
“Navy security, our security, crowd control: the three teams have such a buttoned-up plan,” said Lupo. “Fans can’t get outside the ticketed perimeter, but once you come in, you are streamlined. Our volunteer network has been incredible. We had 900 applications for 450 spots.”
Traffic and parking, two concerns throughout the weekend, were handled by what Lupo called “a hand-in-hand partnership” between NASCAR, the Navy, CalTrans, the California Highway Patrol and Coronado officials.
“It certainly wasn’t one group. We couldn’t have done it without everybody,” she said. “And we made sure that everyone had rigorous training.”
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